The New Dark Age

CONTENTS:

NEWS

1. New London Pacifism and Nonviolence Discussion Group

2. Come to the Peace News summer camp!

3. Housmans on the radio

EVENTS IN JULY & AUGUST

‘London’s Burning’: a celebration of radical London

4. River Fleet walk with Laura Oldfield Ford
Saturday 4th July – 2.00pm

5. ‘Blake: London’s Visionary Anarchist’ with Peter Marshall
Wednesday 15th July – 7pm till 8.30pm

6. ‘Visionaries, Dissenters and Rebels: a walk through Islington’s history’ with David Rosenberg
Saturday 18th July – 11am

7. London Pacifism and Nonviolence Discussion Group: How Peaceful is Pacifism?
Tuesday 14th July – 7pm till 8.30pm

8. ‘Dockers and Detectives’ with Ken Warpole
Saturday 18th July – 5pm till 6.30pm

9. ‘Michael X’ with John Williams
Wednesday 22nd July – 7pm till 8.30pm

10. ‘The London Perambulator’ with John Rogers and Nick Papadimitriou
Saturday 25th July – 5pm till 6.30pm

11. Alternative Press in London
Wednesday 29th July – 7pm till 8.30pm

12. ‘Avenues & Alleyways, Courtyards & Slaughteryards’ – a walk with Tony Gee
Saturday 8th August – 2.30pm

13. ‘The London Free School: Notting Hill 1966 – Counter Culture, Community Action and Carnival Roots’ slideshow and talk by Tom Vague
Wednesday 12th August – 7pm till 8.30pm

14. ‘Local Housing Campaigns in Context’ with Sarah Glynn
Saturday 15th August – 5pm till 6.30pm

15. ‘Violent London: 2000 Years of Riots, Rebels and Revolts’ with Clive Bloom
Saturday 22nd August – 5pm till 6.30pm

16. Merlin Coverley & Friends – ‘Books that London Forgot’
Wednesday 26th August – 7pm to 8.30pm

17. ‘A Historical Walk Through The Radical Jewish East End’ with David Rosenberg
Saturday 29th August – 11am

18. ‘London Stories: Personal Lives, Public Histories’ with Hilda Kean
Saturday 29th August – 5pm till 6.30pm

BOOKS

19. London Writing

NEWS

1. New London Pacifism and Nonviolence Discussion Group

A new London Pacifism and Nonviolence Discussion Group is meeting monthly on the 2nd Tuesday each month at Housmans. The first meeting will be on the 14th July from 7pm till 9pm – please see the events listing for more information. For any queries, phone Albert Beale on 020 7278 4474.

2. Come to the Peace News summer camp!
23-27 July 2009, Oxfordshire
www.peacenewscamp.info

Join people from across the broad spectrum of the British peace movement for five days of exploration, celebration and empowerment: learning from other movements, struggling with challenging issues, and debating nonviolence.

There will be over 40 sessions, including:

• ‘Local Anti-Arms Trade Campaigning’ with Smash EDO and Nottingham Against Militarism
• ‘Chomsky’s Politics’ with Milan Rai (Peace News)
• ‘Libertarian Education’ with David Gribble (author ‘Real Education: Varieties of Freedom’) and Leslie Barson (The Otherwise Club)
• ‘Activism for the long haul’ with Martin Shaw (Activist Trauma Support)

As well as poetry, games, play-reading, story-telling, walks, a samba workshop, debates on the invasion of Iraq (‘Why did we fail?’) and the future of the anti-war movement, and more!

Fed by local organic fruit and veg (lovingly cooked by the wonderful Veggies of Nottingham). Entrance to the camp costs £15-£50 depending on income. http://www.peacenewscamp.info or 0845 458 2564 for more info.

3. Housmans on the radio

Housmans will be broadcasting a number of shows over the coming weeks on London arts radio station Resonance FM 104.4. The first show will be broadcast between 8-9pm on Monday 13th July, and will feature Merlin Coverley, John Rogers, Laura Oldfield Ford and Ken Worpole discussing all things London. If you can’t pick up the signal you can always listen on-line at http://resonancefm.com.

EVENTS IN JULY AND AUGUST
‘London’s Burning’: a celebration of radical London

Housmans will be dedicating our July and August events programme to a celebration of radical London, a series we’re calling ‘London’s Burning’. There are already a number of events confirmed (see below), but more are still in the pipeline, so keep an eye on future newsletters and on the website. More comprehensive details about all events can be found at www.housmans.com/events.php

3. River Fleet walk with Laura Oldfield Ford
Saturday 4th July – 2.00pm

CAUTION! THIS IS NOT A GUIDED TOUR!!!!!
SAVAGE MESSIAH WALK ALONG THE PATH OF THE RIVER FLEET.
www.savagemessiahzine.com
Laura Oldfield Ford invites you to join a collective tracing of the Fleet, one of London’s lost rivers.

First meeting point 2pm Hampstead tube – Second meeting point 4pm approx Quinns public house, the point where the two tributaries of the Fleet converge. 65, Kentish Town Rd, London, NW1 8NY –end approx 6pm Housman’s Bookshop, Caledonian Road, Kings Cross N1 where we will be showing London films, more info to follow.

This event is free but we will be collecting donations at Housmans for food and drink.

Fleet road/ Gospel Oak Estate/ Irish boozers in Malden road/ Queens crescent Man of Aran pub/ Royal College street/ Rimbaud and Verlaine’s house/ St Pancras churchyard……

BRING… old maps, booze, chalk, codeine.
Limited spaces: to book a place and for more info please email nik@housmans.com

4. ‘Blake: London’s Visionary Anarchist’ with Peter Marshall
Wednesday 15th July – 7pm till 8.30pm

Philosopher, historian, biographer, travel writer and poet, Peter Marshall recounts the life of one of London’s finest artists, William Blake. Marshall offers a lively and perceptive account of his thought, ranging from his philosophy, his critique of existing society and culture, to his vision of a free world. Come along to find out why Blake can be understood as a forerunner of modern anarchism and social ecology, and discover the light which shines behind his symbolism and mythology.

5. ‘Visionaries, Dissenters and Rebels: a walk through Islington’s history’ with David Rosenberg
Saturday 18th July – 11am

A walking tour of radical Islington. Find out:

• Which Islington-based preacher stood up to slavery
• Who used to meet in Clerkenwell’s Jerusalem Passage and why
• Which woman in Islington first proclaimed women’s rights
• Where the “Rights of Man” was written
• Which Islington school was closed because of its radical education
• Who the Spenceans were and why there were riots at Spa Fields
• Which radical newspapers were written in Islington…

There is no fee for the walk but there will be a request for voluntary donations at the end. Limited spaces: to book a place and for more info please email nik@housmans.com

6. London Pacifism and Nonviolence Discussion Group: How Peaceful is Pacifism?
Tuesday 14th July – 7pm till 8.30pm

The launch event for a new London Pacifism and Nonviolence Discussion Group – a group that will be meeting monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of each month to discuss issues around pacifism and nonviolence. The subject for this month’s discussion will be ‘How Peaceful is Pacifism?’

All are welcome, so even if this is a subject you know nothing about, do come along. For any queries please phone Albert Beale on 020-7278 4474.

7. ‘Dockers and Detectives’ with Ken Worpole
Saturday 18th July – 5pm till 6.30pm

In the 1980s writer Ken Worpole interviewed a number of well known novelists and political activists in London’s East End, such as Simon Blumenfeld, Alexander Baron, Jack Dash, on how they had mythologised the area in their books and political writings. Here he talks about that making of East End mythology and plays extracts from those recordings.

8. ‘Michael X’ with John Williams
Wednesday 22nd July – 7pm till 8.30pm

John Williams recounts the life of Michael X aka Michael de Freitas, aka Abdul Malik, who, as Williams’ fascinating biography makes clear, was a more complex figure than the simple monster of popular lore (which is not to say he didn’t act in monstrous ways).

Tracing his days as a Rachman-era Notting Hill hustler, to a 60s counter culture revolutionary, black power activist, and his ultimate descent into Manson-like madness in Trinidad, Williams skilfully captures the era and the man.

9. ‘The London Perambulator’ with John Rogers and Nick Papadimitriou
Saturday 25th July – 5pm till 6.30pm

A rare screening of John Rogers’ film ‘The London Perambulator’, a documentary portrait of arsonist and ‘deep topographer’ Nick Papadimitriou. Limited spaces: to book a place and for more info please email nik@housmans.com

10. Alternative Press in London
Wednesday 29th July – 7pm till 8.30pm

A launch event for ‘Anthology’, a book celebrating zines, small presses, self publishing and creativity in the print media. Jimi Gherkin and friends will be exploring what’s happening on the scene in London today. This is also the first event of the Alternative Press Festival 2009 – for more information on other events taking place please visit: http://alternativepress.org.uk

11. ‘Avenues & Alleyways, Courtyards & Slaughteryards’ – a walk with Tony Gee
Saturday 8th August – 2.30pm

Tony will be leading this walk uncovering the hidden corners and stories of this little known part of town. Meeting at Liverpool Street and finishing in Fleet Street. Limited spaces: to book a place and for more info please email nik@housmans.com

12. ‘The London Free School: Notting Hill 1966 – Counter Culture, Community Action and Carnival Roots’ slideshow and talk by Tom Vague
Wednesday 12th August – 7pm till 8.30pm

Punk fanzine editor Tom Vague will be introducing the above and also screening the ‘Notting Hill 1958 Riot Tour Westway’ TV film.

13. ‘Local Housing Campaigns in Context’ with Sarah Glynn
Saturday 15th August – 5pm till 6.30pm

From Hackney to Hammersmith, tenants and activists have been fighting a prolonged battle against what has become a persistent assault on the housing and housing standards of those on below average incomes. For that battle to have any chance of success it is important to know what we are up against. In this talk, Sarah Glynn will be drawing on her recent book, ‘Where the Other Half Lives: lower income housing in a neoliberal world’, to analyse the impact of three decades of neoliberal economic policies that have regarded houses not primarily as homes for living in, but rather as a source of profit.

14. ‘Violent London: 2000 Years of Riots, Rebels and Revolts’ with Clive Bloom
Saturday 22nd August – 5pm till 6.30pm

Clive Bloom charts the story of London through centuries of popular insurrection and protest. It is a story of political activism expressed in street fighting and slum warfare, in assassination and bombing.

15. Merlin Coverley & Friends – ‘Books that London Forgot’
Wednesday 26th August – 7pm to 8.30pm

Merlin Coverley will be joined by writers, publishers and we hope you, to discuss some of the lesser known pieces of London literature.

16. ‘A Historical Walk Through The Radical Jewish East End’ with David Rosenberg
Saturday 29th August – 11am

A walking tour of radical Whitechapel. During the tour you will find the answer to many questions:

• Why did the Jews come to the East End?
• Who was Rudolf Rocker and what did he do?
• Why was there a riot in Princelet Street in 1904?
• Who lived in the Rothschild Buildings?
• What was the Workers Circle?
• Who was Hannah Billig and why did she refuse a once-in-a-lifetime invitation?

There is no fee for the walk but there will be a request for voluntary donations at the end. Limited spaces: to book a place and for more info please email nik@housmans.com

17. ‘London Stories: Personal Lives, Public Histories’ with Hilda Kean
Saturday 29th August – 5pm till 6.30pm

Hilda Kean debunks the melodramatic and romantic clichés that pervade popular conceptions of working-class Londoners in the 19th and 20th centuries. She will be recounting stories of muted historical figures, including an illiterate silk weaver, a grandmother in an asylum, a deserted family, an abused daughter, and a dead child, whose lives intertwine to evoke a haunting and original picture of working-class London that adds a much-needed, though bleak, facet to the city’s social history.

BOOKS

18. London Writing

Housmans has a wide selection of London fiction and non-fiction titles. Please visit http://www.housmans.com to get an idea of the titles we currently have in stock.

www.housmans.com
Housmans
5 Caledonian Road
King’s Cross
London N1 9DX
t: 020 7837 4473
e: shop@housmans.com

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